"Being Persistent without Being Pushy": Student Reflections on Vaccine Hesitancy.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Public Health
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Vaccine hesitancy presents a significant challenge to public health.
• Pediatric educators aim to equip future physicians with effective communication skills for addressing vaccine hesitancy.
• Medical student reflective narratives offer insights into observed clinical encounters.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze medical student perceptions of provider-patient communication regarding vaccine hesitancy.
• To identify key themes related to communication effectiveness, student reactions, physician approaches, and knowledge gaps.

Main Methods:

• Content analysis of 304 medical student reflective narratives.
• Focus on 19 narratives specifically addressing vaccine hesitancy.
• Identification and categorization of major themes within student observations.

Main Results:

• Vaccine hesitancy was a recurring topic in 6.2% of narratives.
• Students perceived provider-family communication positively in most observed encounters.
• Despite positive communication perceptions, only 4 of 19 observed vaccine acceptance.

Conclusions:

• Medical student observations highlight the need for improved training in vaccine hesitancy communication.
• Curricula for medical students, residents, and attending physicians require enhancement regarding vaccine information and communication strategies.
• Optimizing vaccine uptake necessitates strengthening providers' comprehension and ethical communication skills.